Not All Diamond Rings Sparkle
by percabeth1212
Summary: Gemmed chandeliers, tinkling fountains, a dainty shower of people making small talk about the bride and groom…23 year old Annabeth Chase is about to be married to the young successful business man Luke Castellan. Bumping into her ex, Percy Jackson, was definitely not what she expected on her morning coffee trip. Falling back in love with him also wasn't intended either.
1. Chapter 1

**All rights go to Rick Riordan :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1:**

Annabeth glanced at her surroundings on the subway train. A man, his breath stained of cigarettes, was sitting next to her. He winked and she turned her head away, pretending she didn't notice him. She yelped as she felt a head drop on her arm –it turned out to be a 70 year old on the other side of her who had fallen asleep…on her shoulder.

Well, this was Manhattan.

She politely straightened out the glasses on the senior woman and put her hands on her lap, trying to act as casual as possible.

Not wanting to move in case she woke the grandma up, she carefully brought her left hand up and studied it.

A 14k diamond ring hugged her fourth finger, and yes –flirting men, sleeping grandmas, and subways _definitely_ did not sparkle –but this ring did. Now, 23 years old as a grown lady, she was going to be married to Luke Castellan, an amazing guy. Going to be married in _2_ _weeks_! He was everything you needed in your perfect Prince Charming. Girls her age –no, ladies, were not this fortunate as she.

Annabeth switched the angle of the jewel, and it caught on the dim subway lights. Its shine did not lessen. In sunlight or rusty old subway bulbs, it was always sparkling. The glittering gemstone casted a pleasant glare, and the detailed cut crusted into it formed a shadow on the other side of the wall.

She tried not to be carried away with it. She had a busy day ahead of her –she was an intern architect, which meant she still had to lug on 5 hours of work. Also, she planned to stop by Starbucks for her morning coffee, which was right next to the company. At 7:30 tonight, she and Luke would be visiting the hotel to make sure the decorations were all in order. Thursday she would have a last minute dress fitting, followed by some cake tasting with him.

Her stop arrived, and she cautiously moved the woman's head so it lolled comfortably on the back of the seat. She slipped her sunglasses on as she stepped outside, happy to be out of the vehicle.

Walking only about 2 blocks, she entered the Starbucks coffee shop and waited in line patiently. Annabeth already knew what she was getting: a cappuccino, completely black.

"One small cappuccino, no milk or sugar please."

"$2.18." The lady looked up from the cash register and drummed her long hot pink fingernails on the yellow counter impatiently.

She scrounged through her wallet. _Darn it!_ She thought, biting her lip as she dug around the material. Luke had taken most of her cash because he told her he needed it to send out last minute wedding invitations. That left her with 2 limp dollars and 5 cents.

"I –uh," she laid what she had on the table. "Hold on one second…"

20 awkward seconds skirted off. The line behind her increased, as did the lowering of her self-esteem.

"I'm sorry," she started off. "I –"

"I'll take care of it," a man behind her tossed a quarter next to her money. "And same for me, please." He added a five dollar bill next to the pile.

"Oh. Thank you," Annabeth flushed, suddenly very aware of herself. She was both ashamed and relieved –she was a lady now, and was supposed to take care of these situations herself. She was glad that her sunglasses hid most of the expression on her face.

The cashier handed them their coffees and the change to the man, who placed it in Annabeth's hand. His fingers were warm, and they brushed the palm of her hand. She couldn't feel the weight of the coins, because her ring suddenly felt cold, as if it were an icicle.

They moved out of line. "Oh no, you can keep the change," Annabeth quickly said, removing her sunglasses. "Besides, you paid the extra for my coffee. I promise I'll pay you ba –" She stopped suddenly as she finally looked at him straight in the face and tried to take in the guy in front of her.

He looked out the window. "Nah, it was only 25 cents." He turned his head toward her and raised his eyes. "_Annabeth_?"

"P-Percy, hey," she tried to hide the stuttering in her voice. "It's been long."

He hadn't changed much at all. It was the same ruffled black hair, with those mesmeric green eyes, and custard skin. He had a very small amount of stubble coating his jaw, but that was about it. If you saw him from a distance, you would never notice it. He looked like one of those guys who modeled for everyday clothing. He was in a simple T-shirt and jeans, and before she caught herself, she slightly wished Luke would slack up one day and not wear formal attire everywhere he went.

Here she was, about to get married, bumping into the last person she wanted to see.

"I didn't know you were in New York," he laughed casually, running his fingers through his soft hair. Hair that once went through her own fingers. She mentally reprimanded herself after that last thought. "Last time I saw you was in California."

_The last time we saw each other was when we broke up_, she added in her mind. "Um, yeah! Actually, I decided to take architecture more seriously, so I came here."

"Really?" he seemed genuinely interested. He gestured her to sit down at the nearest seat, where he sat on the rustic sofa across her himself. You could see the contractions of his muscles through his shirt with every single movement he made. "How's it –"

She gave a surprised cry when she spilled some of the scorching liquid onto her arm. "Oh!"

He immediately plucked a few napkins from the dispenser and was by her side in two strides. "Are you okay?"

Suddenly, her focus was off the vitriolic spikes that pricked her arm. Her face was burning as hot as that coffee as he dried up her arm and made sure she wasn't sticky. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. But –thank you, you didn't have to."

Percy's thumb rubbed back and forth on the irritated little red patch on the tender part of her arm. "Do you need any cold water?"

"I'm okay." She thanked him again, and he sat back down across her.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't know what's wrong with me today," she confessed.

"That's alright." He smiled as if it was no big deal. "So, back to what we were talking about. How's your job going?"

Annabeth took a sip of coffee. "It's getting there…I'm an intern now at the company next door actually."

"Oh, do you have to go to work now? I'm sorry if I disturbed you –"

"No, no, it's fine." She waved his apology away. "I have 20 minutes more. Sometimes I come early to get my desk set up, but it's totally fine." She felt an unknown fluttering in her chest, but forced it down. She was a fiancé, she couldn't afford feeling these things.

"What brings you here in New York?" she asked.

"I was thinking about continuing marine biology, but I'm not sure yet," he said, setting his cup down. "I left California to take a bit of a break. But I'm glad I ran into you, actually. I've missed you. Hopefully we can, spend more time together, maybe?" He looked at her with almost a shy look on his face. "Maybe…refuel things?"

"I'm getting married," she blurted.

Percy's tongue came out to slightly wet his lips as his eyes fixed to the ring on her left hand. "…Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"It's alright," she quickly said. "It's been 6 years."

"I never thought you'd get married so early…but that means the guy must be very special," he recovered quickly.

"Very. We dated for about almost a year, and at first I didn't want to rush but he was so sweet; he proposed last year right on a dinner date. He actually stood up and made the whole restaurant stand so we had an audience," she laughed to her lap, remembering the memory. "It was all of a sudden, but romantic."

"It must've been," he said awkwardly. "Who's the, uh, lucky man?"

"His name's Luke Castellan. We met in New York," she answered. She didn't want to mention his wealth or his achievements, because it didn't seem right.

"So, I take it you'll be Annabeth Castellan?"

She smiled and gave a mini shrug. "Actually, I haven't thought about that yet."

That seemed to please him a bit, she couldn't help noticing.

"When's the wedding?" He latched on to the conversation.

"2 weeks."

"Wow, I've…I've been missing out a lot."

"I have an extra invitation to the wedding," Annabeth reached into her bag. "We have 15 extra spots available, and we don't want to waste them so…"

He took the little baby blue envelope politely.

"It's only if you're interested," she added quickly. "You don't have to be pressured."

"I'll be there," he said certainly. He glanced at the curly gold printed words on the paper. "Is this going to be a big thing, or…?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Luke wants it to be this huge, elegant, white wedding. It's not what I was expecting, but a fairytale wedding is what every girl wants, right?"

"Yeah," he said softly, nearly knocking over his coffee as he clutched the invitation tightly.

"So, have you met anyone special, yet?" she asked, feeling like she was acting a bit self-centered. She needed to turn the talk over to him.

He shook his head. "No. After we ended things off, I didn't go to see anyone. I was mostly thinking about you."

She felt a blush crawl up her cheeks, which meant it was her cue to leave. She immediately stood up and pretended to look at her watch. "I – have to go work, now, but it was really nice seeing you."

He stood up along with her. "Yeah, me too," he agreed. "Do you still have your same number?"

"You mean you didn't delete it already?" she gave a light tease.

He grinned sheepishly. "If I lied, I'd tell you I deleted it 6 years ago."

"Well, lucky for you I changed it 6 years ago, so you probably have the number of a random guy. Here," she took his phone and he took hers.

They quickly exchanged numbers, and said goodbye.

Annabeth slightly wished she would never see him again, as she walked out the door. This was a big city, full of different people. Odds were that he would feel uncomfortable playing the role of an ex-boyfriend at a wedding, and he'd throw the invitation out right away.

She looked at her ring as she rode the elevator up to her office.

It didn't sparkle as much as it did before.

* * *

Percy felt broken as he opened the envelope and nudged the letter out, none too sharply.

He read it over twice, letting it sink into his head and realizing there would be nothing he could do about it.

_Whatever_, he thought, trying to clear his mind. _You should be glad you even got to see her in your lifetime._

The last words she had said to him had been, "Percy, like you said, it's for our own good. So…let's just say goodbye forever and hope our lives never cross."

She had been young, and tears were brewing in her eyes. And, she had made it _very _clear she never wanted to never see him again.

But still…today she looked more beautiful than ever. Her hair was spiraled into an etiquette braid, with a few curls dribbling casually out of it, so she didn't look like a duchess but just as lovely. A loose russet blouse had covered a white tank top, and she had a casual black dress skirt for work that went up to her knees, and a twisted necklace bordered her neckline, where his lips had been many years before. The worst part…that silly ring that claimed her as someone else's to hold, to kiss, to love.

What shocked him was that she was no longer 16 year old Annabeth Chase in a ratty orange t-shirt and jean shorts.

Though she always had been the kind of person that had everything on schedule and grades he never fully matched, it was like those working habits she had finally came to life. She was a sophisticated lady now.

"What's wrong with me? She's about to get married," he muttered to himself under his breath.

**First chapter up! Thank you guys for clicking this story and giving it a chance to you guys new to my PJO stories, and to the oldies, welcome back! **

**I hope it was a good start, and if you guys could tell me how you thought and what you want to expect, feel free to leave a comment! :) –Sophia **


	2. Chapter 2

**(Wedding dress fitting day! Hope you guys like it!)**

**Chapter 2:**

"I'm back from work, Luke!" she called, pulling the key from the door of their penthouse.

"Baby? You're home earlier than usual," Luke grinned, pulling her into his embrace.

"Don't tell me you forgot about tonight," Annabeth smiled at him.

"Tonight? Tonight, of course…" He looked guilty and didn't meet her eyes. "Oh, I accidentally scheduled a business meeting tonight."

She tried not to look disappointed. "It's okay. Yeah, work comes first before anything. I'll go to check on the decorations for the wedding myself."

"I'll call to reschedule."

She forced a smile. "It's okay, we'll make it up at the cake tasting."

"Are you sure? It's still an hour before 7:30. I have time to cancel."

She shook her head. "It's not necessary."

He leaned in and kissed her, with his hands snaking around her waist. Luke's lips felt cold. "Okay then. Wait, what's this?" He examined the pinkish blotch that had folded itself stubbornly into her skin.

"Just some coffee," she assured him.

He kissed it. "I've got some more paperwork to do. Call me if there's anything," he said, going back to his office area.

She knew he would be a busy man; her mother always admired Luke for being so persistent and hard-working anyways. Plus, he was 28 years old. He needed to take care of his companies. She tried to fight the annoyance that was climbing up her throat as she put down her bag and went up to her room, getting some extra cash in her wallet.

_It's nothing_, she reassured herself. _It's not like he won't be an irresponsible father in the future, or something._

After a full 3 hours of straightening things out, (everything had been a mess: there were lilies and lavender sprouts instead of roses, a few tables hadn't arrived yet, and most of the decorations were shipped to another wedding…in _Bangladesh_) Annabeth was finally done.

She took a shower and headed over to bed where Luke was on his laptop, tapping away. "How were the decorations?"

She gave him a half-hearted kiss as she settled beneath the sheets. "Not that good," she answered, and explained the whole situation.

He gave a frustrated sigh. "_Bangladesh_? You mean all the set-up is in _Asia_, on the other side of the world?"

She quickly tried to settle the flames sparking in his voice. "Don't worry, I've contacted the couple on the other side of the world who got our props. Everything should be alright."

He grunted, and went back to his computer. For a while, Annabeth waited for him to say something. She realized that he probably wouldn't take his eyes off the screen, so she took her reading book on the bedside.

Of course, she was only pretending to read right now. She wasn't in the mood –she thought Luke would kiss her and assure that their wedding wouldn't be ruined, and that they would work it out together. Complaining and waiting for her to do all the work, after a whole night of trying to rearrange the decorations? She bit her lip as she flipped the page of her book. Maybe this was normal, right before the dawn of their marriage. Maybe he had a bad business day. Maybe something had happened. Or maybe it was…her. They only fought one other time in their whole relationship...okay, she was being paranoid. This wasn't even a fight. But his voice had turned the accusation towards her.

_Bangladesh_? _You mean all the set-up is in Asia, on the other side of the world?_

Okay, she shouldn't be so worried. Next morning would be completely normal.

Finally, he spoke up, "Did you manage to give a few more last minute invitations ?"

"I met an old friend today, and gave him one."

"Him?" His attention snapped off his computer.

She nodded.

"How old is he?"

"He's my age." Without knowing, her voice became defensive. "He's just a friend."

Luke didn't say a word and stretched his legs out in the bed.

* * *

She thought about it for a long time before she pressed call, her hip pressed into the kitchen island.

He picked up immediately. "Hi Annabeth."

"Hey, Percy," she managed; her breath was unsteady. "Are you busy today?"

He was quiet at first. "No. No, I don't think I have anything today."

"Do you want to hang out? I need someone to talk to, and it'd be great to catch up. I took a day off because I have a dress fitting in the afternoon. All my friends are working today."

"Sure. We –we're going out as friends, right?"

"Of course. Friends."

"I know a great place where we can sit down and chat." He offered the place, and they agreed to meet in 20 minutes.

* * *

Percy tapped his fingers on his seat, wondering how he was supposed to greet her. Hug her? Too…girlfriend and boyfriend like. Shake hands? Okay, forget that thought. That was stupid.

He was still thinking about it when she sat down on the chair next to him. "Hi."

"Oh. Oh, hi," he greeted, swiping away his thoughts. "How are you?"

"I'm kind of confused," she stated, and told him about the night before.

He nodded and listened to her word for word, also taking his time to stare at her face –it wouldn't be called checking out, right? It would be called: listening intently. Very intently.

"So," she finished, placing her hands on her lap, "I know you might not know what to say since, you haven't been dating for a while…but I just need some advice. Is this normal?"

He tore his gaze away and looked at the assortment of flowers on the table. "Well," he started, not sure where he was going. Truthfully, he had no idea what to say. He wanted to take that ring off her finger and give her a new one. "Let's see. Luke. He seems, uh. Um, he's probably distracted. Like, his mom's dog died, or his goldfish, or something…"

She laughed. "You don't know what to say, do you, Seaweed Brain?"

_My old nickname is back_, he thought. He smiled at her. "Yeah, you got me Wise Girl."

Her cheeks reddened, and she immediately turned her face away. "It's probably normal. He might just be scared since it's so close to wedding day," she said, talking to herself. "Everything will be fine."

He tried to continue her thoughts. "You'll both be in each other's arms by tonight."

She looked at him gratefully. "Thanks Percy. I really needed someone to talk to."

"Anything you want to talk about…I'm here," he said, and suddenly, their faces were inches apart.

"Sure," she nodded, her eyes flicking over to his lips. "Yeah. Um," she made a larger distance between them, a look of shame washing over her face. "Yeah. I should go. To –to my fitting."

"I'll come with you," Percy blurted. "I mean –um," he stammered, comprehending the fact that he was probably being the world's most uncomfortable and awkward ex-boyfriend ever.

Her mouth was open for a long time before she spoke. "Sure. It's just on the other side of the street."

When they entered the shop, all Percy could think of was white. White gowns of all sorts were on display –the elegant ones and the edgy ones. Everything from shoes to shawls were here. Ruffles, sequins, beaded sashes, and decorative flowers paraded throughout the store, and suddenly he felt like he should have worn his best suit.

"Hello! Annabeth, right?" When the lady saw him, she clucked her tongue. "Miss, your husband to be shouldn't see your dress until your special day!"

"He's not my –"

"We're not –"

They both spoke in unison, not able to look at each other.

"Oh. My apologies," she smiled. "I just assumed that you both were –god, I did that twice today! Anyways! Follow me into your dressing room, and I suppose you can come along, sir."

Red velvet carpeted the floor, and a swirl of beige and cream was lathered on the walls.

Yep, he really should've worn his suit, along with dress shoes.

"Your dressing room is number 9," the lady replied, hooking a clipboard onto the door. "I will go get your first dress." She was back in a few minutes, with a white gown cradled on her left arm. "There you are. If you need anything, I'll be nearby."

Annabeth nodded and took the dress, closing the door behind her.

He waited outside, trying to keep something on his mind. He didn't wait too long, though, because the door cracked open.

She sounded shy, but it looked like she had no choice. "Hey Percy –do you mind zippering my dress? I think the lady is working on someone else right now."

It was true; he saw her conversing with another woman, five or six dresses piled on her arms.

He stepped carefully into the room and stopped dead as he saw her from the mirror. "Whoa. You look…" _Beautiful_, he wanted to say. He immediately shut himself up and took the zipper, sliding it up. It got caught on her bra strap, so he had to snap the band of her lingerie carefully to get it off. His hand lightly grazed against her soft skin, which made them both feel the heat on each other's faces.

"Well," she faced him. "What do you think?"

The dress was designed in a way that fit her figure perfectly. The sleeves kind of reminded him of Belle from Beauty and the Beast, in the yellow dress. They hung delicately on the edge of her shoulders, the creamy material contrasting with the soft color of her skin and highlighting the access of collarbone. There was a silky band around her waist dotted with a subtle amount of flowers. The dress's v-neck did dip down, but only in a restrained amount. Lace was braided into the etiquette threads of the silk. It wasn't the most jazzed up dress, and he liked that. He didn't need glamorous, he needed simple.

His breath stream definitely wasn't flowing smoothly. "It looks amazing…I can see you walking down the aisle."

_To me. _

A desire surged in him, a desire for her to be his, yet it came with despair.

The lady knocked quickly on the door and entered, interrupting both of their thoughts. "How's it going? Oh," her voice faltered, "Young man, what are you doing in here?" Percy stepped out of the dressing room, excusing himself.

"Annabeth, you look fantastic!" he heard her say from outside. "I love it on you. Girl, this dress is for you."

"I'm just wondering what my fiancé will think," she replied. "He's picky."

"I'll get a few more. Hang on a second."

She tried on a couple more dresses –some were sleeveless, some had one sleeve, some had bustles, and if you wanted him to be honest, he'd say that everything looked great on her.

The lady handed Annabeth another dress.

"Um, are you sure?" she asked. "This one seems a bit…over the top."

"Just try it on for now. While you do that, I'll see what's next."

"Oh, there is no way I'm wearing this one," Annabeth said after she got into it.

"Step out of the room, and your...'friend' and I will see," she said, purposely emphasizing the word friend. Percy pretended not to notice.

She finally opened the door, and his jaw would've dropped if it wasn't attached to his face.

It would be something Kim Kardashian would wear –a slit that cut up to her thigh, a lot of her chest exposed, and little strips around the sides of her waist showing skin.

She covered her chest self-consciously.

"It looks great!" the lady clapped enthusiastically. "What do you think, Peter?"

He didn't bother correcting her; he could hardly speak. "It's…it looks good on her…" Even though it just wasn't her, he had to admit she looked nice.

Annabeth shook her head, a bashful look on her face. "It looks like I'm a stripper, not a bride."

The lady shrugged to Percy. "At least it's white! I guess young girls like to be mature. I'll get the next dress."

The last dress was as beautiful as the first: It had one sleeve that was all Chantilly Lace, leading up to a twist of matte white. Her back was open; a circle of glowing skin exposed and framed with even more lace. A Victorian wedding gown, as the lady described, with a gilded shell neckline. Layers of white tulle made an uneven criss-cross from below her hips, the longer line of the x sweeping down from under her feet.

_Why did I ever let you go?_ He thought, taking in the treasure in front of him.

"Annabeth, it looks beautiful. _You_ look beautiful," he said, touching her arm. He wasn't afraid of saying that anymore. She was. It was something that was true.

Her cheeks tinted with baby pink. "Thanks."

He got carried away with her gray eyes and found himself staring at her for a long time.

"So," she said, breaking the silence. "Which one should I choose?"

**Which dress should he tell her to choose? The first or last? Comment the one you want :)**

**Thank you for the reviews from the first chapter! I doubted I would even get 1 follow –a huge thanks to all of you who reviewed/followed/favorited!**

**I hope you liked this chapter –the dress fitting was fun for me to write :D Next chapter will be cake tasting time! **

**Take care –Sophia **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

"You should wear…this one. The one you have on."

She nodded, pleased with his decision. "I'll take this one," she said to the lady.

"Of course! It looks gorgeous on you. There's a matching necklace that goes with it too…" she reached over and took a necklace, and on it dangled a single diamond pendant. The chain was artistically twirled so it lay perfectly on her collarbone. The dress fitter clasped the jewelry around her neck, and Annabeth's hand automatically went up to touch the gem. It shone against her finger.

"Oh, it's beautiful." She looked at herself in the mirror and gave a little smile. Those beautiful gray eyes sparkled even more than the diamond. "But I could never splurge on this," her eyes turned back to reality and she started to unhook the necklace.

Percy stopped her hands. "I'll get it for you."

Her hands froze, and her eyebrows arched. "For me?"

"A wedding gift. An early present for you," he quickly managed, dropping his arms to his sides.

"No, Percy, it's alright. I don't want you to spend money on me."

"Really. I mean it," he said. "I didn't get to fully congratulate you on your engagement."

The lady looked back and forth at them. "So, just the dress and the necklace?"

"Yes," he replied, before Annabeth could say anything.

* * *

"Mmm, this one's good," Luke spooned some of the buttercream cake and fed it to Annabeth.

The delicious taste ran down her throat. "Is this the one?" she smiled at him, taking another spoon to share the sample with him.

"Could be. Let's get another one," he turned around in his chair and signaled for another one.

She was glad that Luke was back to normal. It probably was just a bad night for him, that's all. The couple in Bangladesh had contacted her earlier and their decorations would be shipped by early next week.

Plus, he had promised they'd make it up during the cake tasting, and they were. A light, sweet smell wafted through the air and skipped into their noses. It was a perfect day.

An elegant miniature glass plate arrived –a little fondant cake filled with rich frosting.

They scraped the serving with their spoons and analyzed the flavor.

She immediately shook her head.

"Way too sweet," he agreed, setting his spoon down.

Annabeth flipped through the book, checking the cakes. There were a million types: chocolate mousse, marble, red velvet, lemon, white amaretto, along with frostings like ganache, cream cheese, almond, caramel, glaze, browned butter, and countless other types. Fillings? You've come to the right place; available were French apple, raspberry, coconut pecan, chocolate Bavarian crème, toffee crunch, chocolate mint, peanut butter crème, and many more.

"Oh, this one's cute," she said, turning the portfolio over to him so Luke could see. "Mr. and Mrs. [insert name here] –and it has a stick figure bride and groom on the top."

He laughed. "It has a nice ring to it if it had Castellan on it."

Two plates arrived, and they immediately went to them. "Fruitcake marzipan," she read off the flowered label. Tender kiwis and strawberries piled onto her spoon. "Not bad."

"I think mine's a type of cheesecake. Try mine," he said, and they switched their plates.

The salty sweet thickness was pretty good, but so far nothing stuck her as amazing.

Luke gestured towards her mouth. "Baby, you've got frosting on the corner of your mouth." He leaned over and kissed it off. "God, you're so adorable."

She blushed. Every time he complimented her, it was like a million fireworks bursting in her chest. She knew that would never change. That seemed to settle a huge relief towards her. It gave confidence that she didn't have a single feeling for Percy. She didn't have to worry for nothing, because there was nothing to worry about, right?

"Hello, mister and miss," the baker with a spiced Italian accent and a wide smile greeted them. "Find anything special yet?"

"So far, just the vanilla buttercream from London," Luke answered.

Annabeth said the same thing.

"Hm. I'll see if there's anything else," he nodded towards the kitchen.

He brought at least 10 little dishes for them, and she automatically reached for the cake with the blue frosting. Memories blanketed her tongue –it was that familiar enticing fluffy tart savor. "Oh, you've got to try this one," she pushed the plate towards him.

Her fiancé tried it. "Wow. I like it."

"Isn't it amazing?" she was gushing. "It reminds me of the time I made a cupcake for my –" _My ex-boyfriend's birthday, _she was about to say. "For…my mother's birthday!"

She had baked Percy a cupcake for his 16th birthday, and it was the most unforgettable day ever. But, she shouldn't be thinking about him. And she shouldn't be thinking about any reminiscences with him. She should be thinking about how good the cake tasted, not about that day by the lake, and the sun, and that kiss…

"How is it going?" the baker came to their table. "Find anything you like?"

"We're leaning towards this one," Luke pointed to the blue cake. "She's very enthusiastic about it."

She loved him for choosing that cake without hesitation.

"Ah. That is a great choice," he wiped his hands on his apron. "Plus, you should always please your wife. There's a saying: Happy wife, happy life." He laughed at his corny joke, and they both laughed politely along.

"When is the wedding?" he asked.

"A week and a little less than a half," she replied.

"Oooh. You guys will have the best day of your lives," he smiled, but was quickly called over to another table so he excused himself politely.

"So, we'll have this one," he said to her, taking another bite of it. "I like it."

Okay, well maybe he didn't only choose it because of her, but because he liked it too. Either way, it was all good.

They took hands and ordered the cake, making sure it was a tiered one.

"I had a great time with you today," Annabeth gazed into his face and beamed.

"Me too," he smiled back, kissing her lightly. He squeezed her hand. "Only 9 days left."

_I'm living in a fairytale_, she thought happily.

**Sorry for the short chapter! **

**For the two dresses, the votes tied, so I went to my sister and she decided on the second one :)**

**Even though this was short, I hope you guys liked it –if you could review, it would make my day! It's tough when you start a new story, so feedback would be amazing. I appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews for the last 2 chapters; thank you guys so much! –Sophia **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Four days until the wedding. What.

Three days until the wedding. What?

Two days until the wedding. _What_?

One day until the wedding. _What_?!

Meeting Percy on the eve of the wedding. _WHAT_?!

In fact, Annabeth purposely wanted to talk to him. She was hoping she would find him there.

A fiancé. An ex-boyfriend. Both of those put together…not the smartest arrangement.

Work was stressful today, Luke was in another business meeting, and everything was just going terribly.

"I knew you'd be in central park at this time," she said to Percy, startling him a bit. He was leaning on the edge of the bridge, and when he heard her voice he turned to her.

His hand went to his hair. "Oh hi–yeah. I haven't changed much, I guess. It reminds me of California, for some bizarre reason."

"Yeah," she agreed. A few seconds passed, and she tried to say what she came here to say. It didn't happen at first ("Weather's nice, isn't it?" "Very. It might thunderstorm tonight, though." "…I like your shoes." "Thanks, I got them on sale."), and it was just an uncomfortable conversation.

Finally, she readied her will power. "Percy, I wanted to talk to you so we could end all the tension. You know, the awkwardness? Especially since I'm getting married, and it would be unhealthy."

He glanced at his hands. "Yeah. Look," he managed, stuffing them into his pockets. "I bless your marriage. I'm happy for you, and even though it's tough, I know you and Luke are meant to be. He's a good guy."

Annabeth gave a small smile and nodded. She was relieved that this was going well. She was just going to applaud him for always knowing the right things to say until he continued.

"And, I know you can feel the pressure between us. I mean, I feel it too. I've tried to tell myself to control my feelings, but I can't. Going straight to business, I want to quickly apologize before I say it –I'm so sorry Annabeth, but: I still love you." He took his hands back out of his pockets and licked his lips nervously.

She froze. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"You're not talking, which means you don't love me anymore, and that's good. I don't blame you. I just wanted to get it out of my system, to end all the tension, as you said." His hands shook as he tried to look away from her and focused his vision on a random girl walking a dog. The sky was marbled with tangerine and mauve and cerise; the ceiling was a complete canvas of artwork.

"No, Percy. I mean, I don't know! It's not that I don't love you, I do! I mean, of course I don't really love you, but…" she sighed in distress. "What am I supposed to say?"

"You don't have to say anything."

She stamped her foot. "I'm trying not to!"

He closed his eyes and gave a small groan. "Annabeth, just go before I do something stupid." _Like kiss you_, he wanted to add, clenching his fists.

"Like what? Like when YOU broke up with me that night?" Her voice was raising, and water boiled in her eyes.

"I didn't!" He countered back.

"You _didn't_?"

"I mean, I did, but –"

"No no no. Was that stupid? This is the part where you explain, right? You know, if you never came to Manhattan, I wouldn't have had all this trouble! It's your birthday, everything goes perfectly, and then the next day you come to conclusions that it won't work out without a clarification? Even though Luke isn't extremely perfect, he's good at explaining without leaving you _confused_ and _lonely_ and _hurt_. He's GOOD at being a GOOD BOYFRIEND."

Light flashed in his eyes, but he tried to tone it down. "It wasn't because of anything about you. I broke up with you because…" he sounded weary, and struggled to continue.

She waited impatiently, her teeth fastening on the insides of her gums. She had no idea why she was crying_. There's no reason to cry over such a tolerable thing_, she told her eyes, but they stubbornly refilled.

"I –because…because I had AIDS."

"_You_…what?"

His green eyes clouded with pain. "I didn't want to hurt you or scare you away."

Annabeth couldn't speak without feeling the strain in her throat. "Are you okay now?"

"I was on treatment for a long time, so the HIV is dormant in my body for now. The virus is inactive. The doctors say I'm basically cured, since I'm not contagious and my body has learned to fight the symptoms. But it doesn't matter. You're getting married."

She put her hand lightly on his arm. She could feel the tautness and rigidity overlapped in his muscles. "You should've told me when I was 16. I would've understood –"

"Even if you did, at that time I was in the late stages. I thought I'd have it forever… and you wouldn't be able to experience children, and the thing that comes before children…because you would've gotten it from me." His voice cracked. "The point is, I wasn't good for you that time. You'd have too much stress. And you'd have to live through the consequences."

Percy saw her try to think of something to say, which made him say, "Sorry. That was a lot before your wedding day."

A few moments of silence passed by, the wind rippling the quietness and humming through their ears.

She made him face her, tugging her hands gently on his broad shoulders. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I never knew."

He pressed his lips together. "Just…before you become Mrs. Castellan, can I ask you one thing?"

The pools in her eyes leaked out to her cheek. "Anything."

His thumb rubbed under her eyes, drying her tears. "Do you –do you possibly remember our time at the canoe lake?"

She remembered that taste and feeling the cake gave her the other day, effervescing from her stomach to her upper chest.

The person she shared the happiest moment of her life with was right in front of him.

"Yes."

She leaned up to him and kissed him softly, careful and unaware.

His eyes were half open when she broke away, and shadows from his long eyelashes were prominent on his angular cheekbones. They blinked delicately. "But –"

She stopped him again and kissed him deeper, placing her hands on his neck. Percy's signature lips were warm and opened right when she wanted them to. His strong, knowing, hands landed on her waist, giving her sensations she thought she'd forgot, and slid up to her hair. Luke was great and everything, but he never made her feel as protected and safe as Percy did.

"I love you," he breathed, kissing the shell of her ear. "No matter what."

Her hand ran through the hair at the nape of his neckline. "I love you too."

**Percabeth, yay! Will the wedding still go on? (Sorry for the long wait :) )**

**Thanks for the support from the followers and favoriters and reviewers! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter –tell me how you thought it was! –Sophia **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

_August 18__th__, 6 years ago_

_ "__You can't open your eyes yet," Annabeth instructed, as she led him on the canoe and helped him sit down. _

_ "__Okay, okay," he said. He leaned his head up. "Can I at least have another kiss?"_

_ "__If I start to kiss you, it's your way of distracting me so you can open your eyes," she reasoned, starting to row away from the shore. _

_ "__Why are you so smart?" he asked. "Well, I can hear water splashing, so we're either in the bathroom, or the showers," he guessed. _

_She giggled. "You're close," she joked. _

_They were in the middle of the lake, and she stopped paddling. "Okay, open your mouth a bit."_

_He obeyed, and she slipped a spoonful of the cupcake through his lips. She let him open his eyes, and waited excitedly for his expression. "I'm not _such_ a bad baker, am I?"_

_ "__You beat me, for sure," he smiled, kissing her forehead. "I love it."_

_The sun wasn't strikingly hot, though it did gaze down from time to time. Flowers beaded the minty grass, and the water lapped the boat, rocking them gently. _

_"__So, it turns out we're not in the bathrooms _or_ the showers," he added._

_ "__It was a good guess," she said, finishing off the frosting that laid like a blue carpet on the spoon._

_After the sweet dessert was gone, she took the paddleboards and rotated them clockwise. "Now, we are going to –oh!" _

Those did not just snap in half_, she thought. _

_Percy was smiling, though. "Well, at least I'm stuck in the middle of this strip of freshwater with you, Wise Girl."_

_She looked at him. "Great. We're practically stuck here. Now our romantic evening talking, holding hands, and kissing in the water is definitely not going to happen."_

_He touched the side of her face. "We could make it happen."_

_She relaxed. "Maybe. Even if I don't know how this night could get better, you're turning 16, so I still have more birthdays to impress you –" She made a surprised gurgle in her throat as the boat turned over and she was suddenly in the water, her clothes plastered to her skin. _

_He had got them in the lake, knowing water never bothered either of them. "Who said you didn't impress me already?" He swam over to Annabeth, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist since her neck was in the water._

_He lifted her wet curls off her face. "Not stuck in the water now, right? Now we can have a romantic evening talking, holding hands, and kissing _in the water_. Literally."_

_She didn't hesitate to take his face and fit her lips into his, pressing her hands against his chest, which gradually slid down and played with the bottom of his shirt. He inhaled into her scent, his hands securing her thighs around him. _

_She laughed as he bounced her up to get higher, and she playfully splashed him with water. _

_Her shirt was off, and soon enough, his was off too, thrown sloppily on the rocks nearby._

_He leaned down, kisses raining down her jaw. "Annabeth, I…I love you."_

_ "__I love you too," she responded, her hand reaching up to caress his hair. _

_After probably almost an hour of plain making out, he broke away from her. "I really want to continue, but we should probably get out before it gets dark." His eyes showed longing, but there was a section of him that knew the outcomes would be dangerous, whichever version you looked at it. _

_Annabeth agreed. "You're right," the serious part of her responded. The non-serious part of her splashed him again with water. "Try to catch me!" she streaked away from him, heading towards the shore where it was so shallow the tinkling water only came up to their ankles. _

_He caught up to her in a heartbeat, picking her up and swinging her around. She was laughing, and the splashing continued, undoubtedly longer than it should have. _

_After, they watched the sunset, leaning back on the grass to dry. _

_She poked his belly button. "Boop," she said. _

_He kissed her nose. "I have the cutest girlfriend ever."_

_ "__So, Birthday Boy," she said, hooking her pointer finger on the loop of his jeans and running her thumb along the damp denim material. His pants hung loosely on his waist, and though he himself was unaware, Annabeth was sure he looked like one of those guys who, you know, people begged for to sign modeling contracts. "How was your day?"_

_ "__Best day ever," he answered, kissing her lightly. _

_ "__I also have something planned for tomorrow," she said proudly. She was planning on a fancy dinner, and then a walk around the city of San Francisco. _

_His voice suddenly became soft. "Oh. Oh, um…you don't have to. Everything's perfect already –"_

_ "__Don't be silly." She swatted away his excuse. "Anyways, how did your blood test go the other week? I forgot to ask you that day."_

_He pretended to be interested in a nearby rock. "The results come tomorrow. I think it went okay, but it's just…it's just for allergies. So it's not a huge deal."_

_She smiled. "Okay. So I don't have to be worried."_

_He took her hand and laced it between his fingers. "You never have to be worried. I don't want you to ever, worry a hair about me. Okay?"_

_She nodded. _

_He kissed her fingers and turned around, picking a few wildflowers. "For m'love," he said with a dignified accent, placing them in her hair. _

_Her hands went up to touch the flowers lightly. "Seaweed Brain…what do you think the other years will be like?"_

_He tucked her hair behind her ears. "What do you mean?"_

_ "__I mean, when we're off to college. What do you want to do?"_

_ "__Be with you."_

_ "__Besides that."_

_ "__Hm," he said, hoisting his face up with his elbow, "find a college and a stable job that's not far away from here, I think."_

_ "__I never want to leave San Francisco," she agreed. "It's a good place to raise a family."_

_At the word _family_, he smiled. _

_ "__Why are you smiling?" _

_His smiling turned into drops of laughter. "I didn't know you planned that."_

_She self-consciously blushed. "I plan many things…like wanting 4 children –a pair of twins, then two more…"_

_ "__And?"_

_ "__And wanting to live by the ocean…"_

_ "__And?"_

_ "__And…marrying you?" She gave him a withdrawn look, shy but confident of what she'd just said._

_He picked up her hand and played with her fingers, not quite staring at her, but not quite avoiding her eyes. "We'd have the most perfect wedding." _

_ "__Yeah –not a huge thing where we don't know half the people," she stated. _

_He nodded. "And you'd be in a beautiful dress and everything…"_

_They kept talking, watching the colors of the sunset frolic across the sky. _

* * *

Meet me at 5:30 by the tree_, she'd texted him. They were going to have a fancy dinner the day after for an extra sense of celebration, and everything would be flawless tonight. _

_Okay, it was 5:29…why wasn't he here?_

Relax_, she told herself. _He's not late. Yet…

_5:30, her watch read. Late means later than 5:30. 5:31 counts as late, not 5:30._

_But 5:31 passed, along with 5:32, 5:33, and on. _

_When she was just about to call him on her phone like she probably should've done earlier, he was jogging towards her. _

_ "__Percy, hey!" she said, relieved. Okay, he didn't forget. Possibly there was traffic, you know? "I have our reservations –"_

_ "__Annabeth…maybe we should talk," he said uncertainly. _

_She paused, a clear bubble of confusion forming in her brain. "But…aren't we talking now?" she asked, taking his hands, which were clammy and icy. She warmed them with her palms, brushing her thumb across his hand just when he pulled back. _

_ "__Percy?"_

_ "__I –I don't think this will work out," he couldn't look at her. _

_ "__You mean the dinner reservations? It's fine, I can cancel anytime. Just tell me what's wrong –"_

_ "__No, I mean us. This…thing between us."_

_Her chest suddenly caked with frost. "This _thing_? Our…relationship?"_

_He bit his lip and nodded. _

_Though she was trying not to cry, the barrier broke and tears concocted in her eyes. "I don't understand. Did I do something? Was it about yesterday?"_

_He automatically shook his head. "No, of course not."_

_ "__Then why?! Is there a reason, or something?"_

_ "__Well, there's just –" He looked like he was about to cry himself. He wanted to tell her so badly…but the results were free and so was his virus. The doctor's confirmation of his disease couldn't be changed. He gave a sharp intake of breath before continuing, "No. There's no reason, in particular. I just thought it'd be for our own good."_

_Now she was really crying. "I thought you loved me."_

I did_, he wanted to say_. I do._ He couldn't bear to see the pain he was making. "I –I…"_

It was all just a joke_, the words pranced in her head, shame fuzzing even more tears to her eyes. She'd made a fool of herself, and had thought Percy loved her. _

_ "__Annabeth, please don't cry," he stepped towards her, but she just took another step back._

_"Percy, like you said, it's for our own good. So…let's just say goodbye forever and hope our lives never cross." And then she ran, hoping she'd never see him again. _

_It took all of his willpower to not run after her. _

_She cried the whole night, and as much as her parents tried to comfort her, they couldn't. Whatever came out of their mouths was against Percy, and Annabeth wasn'__t sure that was what she needed. _

_Besides, she knew they never approved of her boyfriend in the first place. ("Oh, sweetie…He always needed a sense of his own mind anyway," they scoffed. "It's for the best. Don't be upset, because I'm sure you'll get over it in no time. Boyfriends at 16 years never last anyway.")_

_She decided she didn't now, either._

* * *

Annabeth opened her eyes and found herself in the arms Percy in an unknown bed, and an unknown room.

_Oh, this did not just happen_.

Of course, to her luck, she was only in her bra and underwear, which was embarrassingly wet, and her upper chest was practically falling out of the cups.

She _un-nuzzled_ her face out of his neck, keeping calm.

Normally it would be such a nice sight to wake up seeing his glorious chest, and his neck, and his legs, and his thighs, and unfortunately he was still in his underwear but…okay what?

_I'm thinking too much,_ she thought. _Just…pretend nothing happened and go back to Luke –Luke!_

"It's Thursday," she sat up immediately, running her hands nervously through her hair.

Percy opened his eyes woozily to Annabeth, his cute sleep filled voice making her melt. "Morning." She could sigh and stare and everything if it was any other day but:

"Thursday," she repeated frantically, covering her chest with her arms and trying to look for her clothes.

"Thursday?" He leaned his head on his elbow, which rested on the pillow. "Don't worry, you'll be able to catch a subway down to work in no time –"

"No, Thursday, as in wedding day…Oh my god, I am such an idiot." She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to blink back tears. Percy caught on and didn't say anything at first.

She forced her pants on, and in the end, since they both couldn't find her top, Percy took one of his t-shirts out from the drawers.

"It shrunk in the wash, but may still be a bit big for you," he said, bunching it up and throwing it to her.

"Thanks," she muttered, shoving it over her head. Annabeth poked out of the hole and breathed in the scent that smelled of him mixed with laundry detergent.

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Don't blame yourself, okay? Blame me. I'm sorry that I got carried away. I should've stopped earlier."

"We didn't…did we?"

"I don't think so, if we're talking about the same thing."

She sat on his bed and put her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do. I just cheated on him with my ex-boyfriend, and it's my fault."

"How is it your fault?" His hand moved to her back and rubbed soothing circles.

"Because I kissed you in the first place, and it felt good!" her voice rose, shaking. "I don't know if I will be able to look at Luke without feeling guilt."_ And worse, I had a flashback dream about us and I don't know how to feel._

His hand froze before rubbing again. "Shhhh. I'll go get you a drink and –"

She shook her head firmly. "I want to go home. And then go to the hotel to meet my friends who are probably already dressed as the bridesmaids, and go meet my parents, who are probably freaking out at why I'm not in my dress yet."

He didn't hesitate to respond, "Of course."

**Hello everyone! I just love this chapter because of the Percabeth, and Percabeth is the best, and also Blood of Olympus (which, oh my gods you guys, is coming out so soon!) better have Percabeth and hints of a Percabeth future and baby and family. Who's with me?**

**Thanks for 20 reviews! Though it may seem little, it really is a lot to me ;) I love them so much. **

**I hope this was an enjoyable read, and the next chapter will be soon –Sophia **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

"Annabeth! Why aren't you in your dress yet?" Three sets of arms grabbed her and got her into her dress. Silena, Piper, and Hazel were all in dripping creamy outfits, flowers dotting their hair.

A pale, white, lamp was glowing at the table, a mirror etched with etiquette designs waiting for her. A giant wardrobe that contained her clothing stretched to the top of the room, matching the lustrous tiles on the floor, and the buttery color of the ceiling. The dressing room had every piece of elegance pressed into it, which reminded Annabeth how much this wedding costed. That just made her guiltier.

"I love this gown. Who chose it with you?" Silena, a friend she met at college, combed out her hair and warped it into a flowery updo.

Annabeth sighed. "Percy."

"Percy! You mean…your ex-boyfriend?" Piper exclaimed. "What –when –how –"

"I also invited him to the wedding too," she answered miserably. _And made out with him last night_, she added in her mind.

"Oh."

Annabeth couldn't respond since Silena was applying lip liner and lipstick, and besides, she had other things on her mind. Her heart was full of shame.

Was it worth ruining Luke's night as well as hers?

"Oooooh, looks like someone had fun with Luke last night," Piper teased, gesturing to the bluish bruise that bloomed vibrantly on her neck, completely vulnerable to the whole world to see.

She blushed, trying to cover it with her hand. Great. A hickey to deal with now.

Piper smiled, uncovering her hand. "I'll get some ice, and then cover it with foundation. It's no worries."

She slipped her feet into her sophisticated white heels that strapped around the ankles.

"So, are you excited? I want to know how it feels to get married," Hazel said, blushing her cheekbones so they gleamed with coral.

"It must feel like the most wonderful thing in the world," Silena sighed.

Without noticing, a tear wedged out of the corner of her eye, eyeliner catching down to her waterline and mascara raking down her cheek. _The most wonderful thing in the world…_

"Annabeth, are you okay?" Hazel twisted the nail polish cap back on to get a tissue, handing it to her.

She took it thankfully, blotting her eyes messily. In two seconds time, she tried to regain herself. "I'm fine –I'm just…so happy that I can't ask for anything else."

She nodded understandingly, watching her cry happy tears. "You must love Luke so much."

* * *

Her friends had left her to give some alone time, each of them hugging her, congratulating her, and telling her she'd have the best day ever before evacuating the room.

Just what she _didn't_ need.

Nonetheless, she thanked them with fake genuine smiles, hugging them back and telling them how beautiful they looked.

Because strong girls –ladies, had to sacrifice some of their dignity to keep a good exterior.

Which is why she started crying a second ago, letting her insides out. She took the drink (didn't know what it was) on the golden dresser, and drained it down in one mouthful. Studying herself in the mirror, she saw the red rimming her eyes, the strenuousness of her body, and the tiredness in her face. Blemishes of black flaked around the corner of her eyes, which she made no effort to fix.

There was a knock on the door. "Hey baby."

She immediately straightened and reached for the tissues, knocking them over. "Luke? You aren't supposed to see me before the wedding!" Which was true, right? It's bad luck if a man sees his bride in her dress before a wedding.

"That's why I'm only outside the door. I wanted to talk to you about how special this day means to me."

She ripped a tissue out of the box, which of course shredded from the aggressiveness. "Yeah. It means a lot to me too."

"I –I have a question. And it has to do about last night."

"Oh?" Annabeth's heart froze and then started drumming, her anxiety straining through her veins.

"I wasn't home last night because I met with the Vice President of my companies," he explained. "Not because I was cheating on you or whatever went through your mind. I could never forgive myself if I did that to you."

_I wasn't home last night either, _she thought. "Of course. That's…that's really okay."

"Remember Kara Stirling? The VP of my companies, who I told you about before?"

"Um, sure."

"She's moving out of managing and going into show business. I can't think of anyone else who is as hard working, reliable, and smart as my babygirl…would you do the honor of being VP of the five companies with me?"

She was caught off guard. Given one of the most important responsibilities? She thought she was going to faint.

"It's just five workplaces…The other six have been taken care of already. So, what do you say?"

"Of –I would love to be VP," she maintained a cheerful and exciting tone. "Thanks, Luke –I –I don't know what to say! I…love you."

Those three words used to be the easiest thing to say. Now…

"I love _you _more than anything in the world," Luke sighed through the door. "I can't wait to call you my wife."

Silent tears started flicking out of her eyes again, the guilt coming again. "Yeah," she whispered, trying not to let her voice show. Him hearing her cry was the last thing she needed.

"What?"

"I mean –" she swallowed to clear her voice, "I said yeah. I agree."

"Are you…crying, Annabeth?"

She shook her head even though he was outside the door. "No! Of course not!"

He laughed. "Oh, you're so sweet. You're even crying…oh, baby. I love you so much. I want to come in –"

She sat up and desperately smoothed out her dress, "No! Don't!"

"I was joking." She relaxed, exhaling. "Alright, well, see you at the aisle. I'm excited, and I'll bet you look beautiful." There was a rustle at the door, showing that he had left.

"What am I going to do?" she asked herself helplessly.

"Annabeth," a muffled voice made out behind her.

She looked behind her, and there was Percy, standing on the stone balcony and tapping at the doors.

She got up and twisted the handle, inviting him in. "How did you –"

"They wouldn't let me up to the mezzanine since I wasn't a best man or relative," he panted, "so I took the other way. It's a good thing they didn't lock the storage room." He was in a tux, a brilliant blue tie hooped correctly, drawing out his eyes and his kissable lips. His hair was combed neatly, which made him look more mature in a handsome way. He saw her tear strewn face, and softly touched her cheek. "Hey, don't cry."

Seeing his concerned face made her cry harder, and she held out her arms to hug him, probably getting his suit wet.

"You look great today," he added, rubbing her back. God, he smelled good. Such a masculine cologne he had on…nothing too thick and nothing too laundry smelling. She somehow longed for him to kiss her head, and give loving reassuring words…but maybe that would be wrong. No, not maybe. It _was_ wrong. She forced herself to stop thinking. If she continued, she'd be dishonoring Luke even more.

"I –I –I don't kno –" she tried to make out, only finishing half of her sentence.

"You don't know if you look great today? Man, you're kidding me right?"

Giggles squeezed out of her mouth. _Percy's the only one who can make me laugh_, she thought. "No –I –I meant I –I don -don't know what I should do," her voice hiccuping like a broken record.

He poured a glass of water for her and sat her down. "You're going to be a great wife. I know it."

Annabeth took a small mouthful of water and ran her fingers down the design of the glass. "I –I don't feel like I'm ready. I'm 23 years old."

"You'll be fine," he said softly, picking at his hands.

"There's hundreds of people at this wedding. Two thirds of the people I don't know, who are mostly business men and women."

"From Luke's company?"

"_Companies_, actually. He owns 11. And –oh god…he just asked me to be vice president for the five areas. I don't know if I can handle it with him. I'll have to quit my job, and travel every few weeks…" she trailed off, an empty feeling eating away at her stomach. "And I don't know –I don't know how I feel about Luke anymore. That's the scariest part."

He took a tissue and wiped away the wetness on her face carefully. _Percy would be the best father_, she couldn't help thinking. "Listen. I'll even go stop the whole wedding right in the middle of your vows. I'll stand in the middle of the aisle and declare my love for you."

She smiled past her tears. "Only you," she put her hand to the back of his neck.

His eyes became serious again. "But I don't want to get between you and him. It's your choice. I don't want to intrude."

She thought about it for a long time. "I…I think I've made my decision." Though she didn't like her choice, ladies had to sacrifice their dignity.

He looked at her sincerely. "I'll be happy for you, no matter what."

A moment passed, ticking them out of the present. You could hear the rumble of the guests downstairs, which reminded her that she had to get herself together.

She wiped her eyes. "Before I become Mrs. Castellan, kiss me. One last time."

His mouth opened slightly, realizing what she had chosen.

With no trace of reluctance, he leaned in, kissing her with such gentleness, making a warm feeling stretch down to her spine.

She didn't notice she was getting so into it until she saw her hands were on his shoulders, persuading him to get closer…and then they pushed him away once she was alert that she was kissing him back.

Annabeth couldn't look into his eyes. "Um…yeah. I'll see you downstairs," she dismissed him quietly, leaving him confused.

* * *

Percy closed the door of Annabeth's dressing room behind him. A view of marble terraces and arches greeted him –the floor so shiny it blinked at him.

A guy with slicked hair and a sleek tuxedo came up to him. "Hey man. Where's your bridesmaid?"

"My…what?"

"You're one of Luke's groomsmen, right? You gotta bring your girl down to the lower stairs. Wedding's starting in 15 minutes."

He apologized. "I'm just a guest. Sorry…I got lost." He pardoned himself and stepped down the stairs, wondering how much this wedding had cost.

If he thought the mezzanine looked good, the main room was beyond the scale of 1-100.

Fountains sprouted pearly water –and wow –there was even a stand where you could buy a coin and engrave a special writing on it to the bride and groom, then throw it in a twinkling fountain (there were about 6 small fountains around the room, plus the large one in the center). He dipped his hand in the warm water and fished out a few coins, reading what they said.

_Wedding of the Year_, from the Kenneth Family

_Congratulations to the Most Beautiful Couple in the World, _from Piper Mclean and Jason Grace

There were a few more that made his heart wince, but he placed them back in the sprinkling water.

He walked over to line up at the stand to buy a coin, thinking that he'd look bad if he spent no money. He could see how much this wedding had cost.

"Good evening, sir. What would you like your coin to say?"

He thought about it for a second. There were a million other things he wanted to say, but he decided on, "May the Next Years Together Be Promising and Bright," which he stole from one of the examples that were up on the glass window. Cheesy and sweet, just what he needed to suggest nothing other than innocence.

"And your name?"

"Percy Jackson."

"Alright, thank you."

It took about a minute to make, and later he half-heartedly put it in the central fountain.

A grand chandelier even _grander_ than the one on Broadway from _The Phantom of the Opera_ was suspended on the ceiling, warmly casting a romantic luminosity. The little diamond gems flecked the gold bars above him, and opal squares were embedded inside a few of the larger jewels.

He took the seat next to a girl with cinnamon hair that was spun into a Dutch braid, sitting in the fifth row. She put her hands on her lap and smiled in greeting when he sat down, and he gave a polite smile back. There were at least 600 people at this wedding, he predicted, looking at the sea of people chatting merrily. The first row, it seemed, was occupied by Annabeth's mother, aunt, uncle, and other relatives and close friends he didn't know.

It gave him a sort of uneasiness when he remembered how her parents never liked him. He watched them for a few minutes, seeing their happy faces and proud conversations. He immediately felt jealous. They really seemed to approve of this guy Luke.

After a while, the violinists and harpists began strumming an introduction. Everyone stopped talking at once and planted themselves back in their seats quietly. All eyes were now on the aisle.

The flower girl and flower boy, supposedly Luke's niece and nephew (the people in front of him were whispering very loudly), started throwing petals around the carpeted floor, creating a divine smell that fanned around the room.

He was trying hard not to hate this wedding, he really was.

But with every "awwww" and "those kids are adorable", he wanted to stuff their mouths with the coins from the fountains. It wasn't because of the innocent kids. It was because of Annabeth's husband. His nails were already biting crescents into his palms.

Luke walked slowly down the aisle, his parents both linked in his arms.

Percy would be lying if he said that he never tried to imagine what he looked like. And let's just say that his imagination versus the real guy did not match at all.

He was a handsome man –fit, and strong, it seemed. His hair was perfectly combed into place, and every expression on him made him look very manly and distinct. His face was impeccably symmetrical –angular cheekbones and a contoured nose. He lifted his chin when he walked, his blue eyes like puddles of clear, spring water. He was in no doubt successful, good looking, and though Percy tried not to believe it –he seemed like a caring person who didn't just throw people around.

Smart, got the looks, and kind…

He was the perfect match for Annabeth.

His heart stung as he watched him make his way next to the priest, with a proud look on his face.

Next came the bridesmaids and groomsmen, who gracefully came down the aisle.

Once the orchestra began to play the "Wedding March", the priest made everyone stand.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, rise," he said, dramatically raising his arms up to indicate the motion.

**Helllooo, everyone! I'm sorry for the long wait! **

**Now, now. So much to talk about…like The Blood of Olympus! I know that not everyone has read it yet, but I'm going to give you guys a heads up –at the end of my next chapter, I'll be posting a mini review on it –because I honestly need someone to talk to about the final installation of the series. To those of you who have read it, we'll talk about it on the next update! **

**Hope you guys liked the chapter! –Sophia **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

The walk down the aisle seemed to take forever.

_Just keep looking forward_, she urged herself, firming her grip on her bouquet and her father's arm.

Calla lilies and stalks of amaryllis blossomed around the room. The violinists' harmonies entwined with each other, knotting notes into intervals and intervals into chords.

She tried not to think about the fact that half of these people sitting out here were strangers. The main person she didn't want to see was Percy, though.

Halfway there. She didn't even see green eyes and back hair. Her breath started to relax.

Annabeth saw that Luke was gazing at her with proud eyes. He looked…happy.

She messed up on one of her wedding strides, which hopefully, no one noticed but her dad. He seemed to sense her uneasiness and held her arm slightly tighter.

He led her over to the steps where she went up to face her husband to be. Luke nodded his head the smallest amount towards her, his mouth moving into a smile.

If he was going to tell the truth, Percy would say that he wanted to storm up to that Luke guy's face and punch him a couple billion times, then drag him over to the marble fountains.

He didn't even want to listen to the priest talking about where they met and everything. He didn't want them to be facing each other like that. He didn't want his parents to be smiling brightly towards the couple. He didn't want there to be a million people awhing and sniffling. He didn't want to watch Luke staring into _his_ Annabeth.

_Calm down_, he forced himself to remain collected. _It's okay_.

She looked stunning. A dainty tiara speckled with diamonds glowed in her ringlets. The white dress she had on made her skin look milkier and richer than ever before. She was literally gleaming from within. He wanted to run his fingers through her soft, blonde hair –delicate as a baby's breath. He wanted to touch those beautiful, pink heart shaped lips. He wanted to grab her by the waist and kiss her slowly and passionately in front of everyone.

The girl next to him with the fancy brown braid nudged his elbow. "Aren't they adorable?"

That comment certainly cooled him down…

"Yeah," he managed. He tried to say something else to add on that was nice, but he couldn't form the words. Percy decided to keep it at that.

_But honestly? You proposed to her at a restaurant? That's the best you could do?_

_And seriously –what's up with the hair gel? You're a business man, not Elvis Presley. _

_Stop smiling at her like that._

Okay, maybe he was acting irrational and immature. And maybe he was envious of Luke's hair. But he didn't care.

Finally, after 10 long minutes, the vows came.

"Repeat after me: I promise I will take Annabeth Chase as a companion, friend, and lover."

Luke reiterated the words with ease, sliding the ring onto her finger.

When Annabeth repeated the words with Luke's name, her voice caught slightly.

Maybe he was the only one who could tell, or he probably imagined it.

"Do you, Luke Castellan, take this woman to be your wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Annabeth Chase, take this man to be your husband?"

Percy wished for every fairytale miracle to happen –every cheesy movie ending –anything.

Annabeth would throw her ring down at the ground with such strength that it'd dent the floor. Her bouquet would be slammed into Luke's face. She run over to Percy, who'd automatically stand up. Then she'd throw her arms around him, tell her it was him who she loved, and kiss him.

But he didn't get it.

"I do," she said, sounding confident.

"You may kiss the bride."

He didn't want to watch, but he had to feed his curiosity. It was painful, but he watched as Luke pulled Annabeth towards him and kissed her with all his energy. Seeing him devouring her lips…locking his hands on her waist…seeing this perfect little scene made him hate Luke even more. She put her hands around his neck and returned the kiss in every way sincere. It looked real to him; or maybe Annabeth was a great actress. Her fingers went up to knead into his fine hair…and after that he turned his eyes away.

He looked at the girl next to him, who was crying.

She noticed him glancing at her. "Sorry –I get teary eyed during weddings," she apologized, smiling through her tears.

"It's okay." His voice was tight, as if he would start crying any minute now too.

* * *

His plan was to leave right after the vows to reduce the uncomfortableness, but he was held behind by the huge crowds buzzing near the doors. When that area got cleared up, he was about to go when the girl next to him took his arm. "Wait. I was wondering if you wanted to find our dinner tables together?" She waved her table number card. "There's about a couple hundred guests, so there's probably hundreds of tables."

Percy didn't know if there was a way he could say no. "Of course."

She smiled, and they started walking towards the dinner lounge reception. Her lilac dress swiveled around her feet as she walked. "I'm Calypso. One of Luke's employees. Are you one of his workers too?"

"Oh…oh no. Yeah um, no."

"Just a friend?"

He nodded. "I'm Percy, by the way." He started realizing the little details in this girl. She was really nice, and had astonishingly beautiful eyes. Light, cute, freckles sprouted around her nose.

"Nice to meet you."

It was a coincidence that their dinner tables were both 7. They sat down casually, while the other guests found their way to their seats.

"So…are you from New York?" he asked, making small talk.

She nodded. "I've lived on Upper East Side for quite some while now." Her fingers traced the rim of the wine glass.

"That's where I live too!"

"Really? We should hang out sometime –if that's okay with you, of course." Their eyes met for a millisecond, before her cheeks turned the color of cranberries and she looked down.

"It's more than okay," he replied. "I recently moved here, so I'm not familiar with all the people."

* * *

After a while, the polite conversations turned into comfortable ones.

"Whoah. Hold up a sec. When you were ten, you were on Broadway?"

Calypso nodded. "I actually auditioned for fun, but somehow I got in," she said, giggling at Percy's expression.

"When I was ten, I also auditioned for something too," he said. "The elementary school basketball team."

"Oh," she laughed. "Top notch?"

"Very."

The waiter came over to refill their drinks. "More sugar?"

"Yes please," they both said at the same time, then blushed without meaning to.

Music was blasting from the speakers, and everyone had gotten out of their seats to dance.

He glanced over at Calypso, who was trying to look focused on the sugar packet holder.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked.

"Me?" she asked, flustered.

Percy nodded, stood up, and held out his hand invitingly.

She took it and they got on the dance floor.

Somehow he found himself wishing Annabeth was watching them so she could be jealous, which of course was totally stupid.

* * *

Annabeth quickly changed out of her wedding gown and into her moveable light blue dress –something easy to dance in.

Luke met her at the doorway. "Ready to talk with the guests, Mrs. Castellan?"

"Ready." She was ready not just to talk with the guests, but to face the fact that she was Luke's wife. Last night with Percy never happened. All those feelings were extinguished –she was a Castellan now.

He kissed her one more time before they headed out to the reception.

Everyone wanted to talk to them, which was overwhelming. Especially since she didn't know most of them.

A lot of the times, it went like this:

"Annabeth, meet Mr. and Mrs. (so and so). They are the (secretary, CEO, employee, VP, and more) of my companies."

She'd respond with, "Oh! How nice! I'm so excited to be a part of the companies starting next month. Thank you for coming to the wedding! Make sure you dance! Have the desserts –my aunt made them!"

She was tired of listening to her fake jumpy voice.

Finally, she saw Percy dancing with another girl…that she didn't know.

They looked really happy together, which made her heart ache. Tingles shot up her arms.

She had never seen him before with another girl. A different sort of emotion twisted deep into the pit of her stomach. _What am I feeling?_ She thought, her heart turning to stone.

_Nonsense. They probably just met_. She doused her harsh feelings immediately.

Plus, she loved Luke. If there was anyone to be jealous for, it was him, not Percy.

"Who are you looking at?" he asked, grabbing her hand. "Oh wait –there's Calypso. Let's give our greetings."

"Are you sure? I… mean, sure!"

Percy automatically turned when he saw them coming their way in his peripheral vision, and the brunette politely followed. She really wanted to disappear at that moment.

"Hi Calypso," Luke shook her hand. "So glad you could come. Babe –this is Calypso Ogygia, who works right at one of the offices."

Annabeth forced a smile and shook Calypso's hand. "Thanks for coming!"

"Who's this?" Luke looked at Percy.

She softly cleared her throat. "This is Percy Jackson, my um –ex."

Luke's eyebrows went up, but he held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Percy shook his hand. "You too. And congratulations –both of you. I'm really pleased to know that both of you are together for each other."

"Thanks. I'm glad that you and Calypso are together too. Very cute."

Percy and Annabeth both started to say something, but stopped.

"She –" he started to say.

"They're –" she began.

She didn't know what he was about to say –but she was going to say that Calypso wasn't his girlfriend. But what if she was? Annabeth didn't want to take any chances, so she thought better not to not continue her sentence.

"They're _very_ cute," she spread her hands awkwardly, "But anyway, enjoy the rest of your time here! We'll see you guys around," she nodded towards them.

Luke flashed a smile and led her through the crowd, his hand gently pressing behind her back.

"What's your ex-husband doing in New York?" he asked. "You never told me anything about him."

"I don't have an ex-hus –oh, you mean Percy? He's just an –" She was interrupted an elderly couple.

"Annabeth and Luke! Golly. What a beautiful couple!" The grandpa crushed her with a hug, then shook her husband's hand.

"Such a memorable day, right?" His wife kissed each of their cheeks, getting old lady lipstick onto their faces.

"The _most_ memorable day," Luke corrected.

She gave a cheeky grin. "I know you two will stay married longer than Pete and I have been."

Annabeth looked behind at Percy and Calypso, then towards Luke, taking his hand. "We'll stay together forever."

**Hi guys! So, Luke and Annabeth just got married –what happens next? What will happen between Percy and Calypso? I hope you liked this chapter –please review! Now, here's my mini review on the Blood of Olympus. (If you haven't read it yet, please skip the next part. Thank you!)**

* * *

**~Do not continue if you haven't read BOO~**

**Alright guys! The last book of the series! Going straight to the review, I'll give a rating of a 3.8 out of 5, and this will be explained. **

**I know there's a lot of controversy of how BOO went –I searched up many reviews, and some people were completely disappointed, whereas some people really enjoyed it. **

_**Things I Liked**_

**1) The descriptiveness! I loved the imagery and the comparisons. Good job on that, Rick Riordan!**

**2) The cave scene with the Percabeth 'I love you'. Of course, my penname already tells you I'm an enormous fan of that. That part was less than a page, but that's better than none**

**3) The end scene when the gods are fighting next to their children. A really heartwarming scene!**

**4) ANNABETH! I know it's weird, because everyone's favorite character in BOO is Nico, Piper, Reyna, Will, or some other person, but my favorite was Annabeth. I felt like the other books showed her as this intimidating super smart blonde girl. In the last book I thought she was so, so sweet, and for a change she was scared in some parts. I think being scared showed her inner sweetness –do you know what I mean? I loved the part when she was talking to Piper about how she as scared, and worrying about Percy and their relationship because of Akhyls, and crying, and just OMG. I loved it. And I loved how this time Percy was the one who kissed her first, and she was caught breathless. I feel like I'm the only who thought that Annabeth was so sweet and almost slightly different in this book! It honestly reminded me of PJO –do you guys remember? –when she was a little girl, geeking out about architecture, crushing on Luke, and crying about boys sometimes. I always thought that once HOO happened she was automatically this scary warrior person (Okay, where am I going? LOL) But anyway. Going back on track, I thought her character in the last book was basically a reprise of how she was when she was younger.**

**5) Percy. Always Percy. HE IS PERFECT!**

_**Things I didn't appreciate as much (****These are just my opinions:))**_

**1) The choice of POVs. I know that Percy and Annabeth aren't main characters like PJO, but I thought that two POVS from Reyna and Nico were unnecessary. If there was only one from Nico, it'd be okay. Or the others could've found out what was happening on the other side with a dream, or iris message. They're not part of the seven demigods, so the fact that they occupied more than half of BOO really seemed to shift the focus. Don't get me wrong –I loved their character development. I just thought that putting them and their past (especially their past) in seemed a bit last minute, because they always seemed to be background characters in the past books.**

**2) Athena and Annabeth. There was one book completely dedicated to how her mother's personality was completely shifted and the Athena Parthenos. Annabeth had to go through her deepest fear of spiders, and then go down to Tartarus! In return, she gets no credit basically from anyone. I felt like there wasn't any appreciation for her. **

**3) Oh yeah! The end also bugged me, because it was also unfinished and I felt like there was supposed to be so much more! Everything "thinks" Leo is dead –and that's how it ends?!**

**4) I wanted to see post Tartarus Percabeth development! I wanted to see further bonding –how their experience would bring them closer together.**

**5) The fight with Gaea was like a few pages, and I thought that Leo, Piper, and Jason were doing practically the same thing as in TLH to bring her back to sleep. **

**6) Frank's firewood suddenly meant nothing. Hazel died before! That also suddenly meant nothing.**

**7) I thought Percy would be reunited with his mom and Paul! And Grover, and Tyson! His dad as well!**

**8) It was like BOO was entirely dedicated to: "Let's ****_try_**** to make Jason a better character."**

**9) A bit too predictable**

**So, in conclusion, the Blood of Olympus was not my favorite, of course. I did enjoy the funny parts, however, and many others. Tell me what you thought! Do you agree with me? Disagree? Comment! I honestly need people to talk to about this! I'd love to hear from all of you–Sophia **


End file.
